1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for winding a binding thread around a button-fixing thread running through a button sewed on a garment, such as a coat, shirt, blouse, or jacket, in order to prevent the button-fixing thread from being loosened. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for binding a button-fixing thread running through a button sewed on a garment or other fabric, which is capable of winding a binding thread around the button-fixing thread by several turns in a safe, simple, easy and convenient manner while forming a twist with the binding thread at every turn, thereby not only preventing the button from being separated due to a loosening of the button-fixing thread, but also achieving an improvement in the binding operation and an improvement in the reliability in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, buttons are used for garments in order to provide convenience in putting-on and taking-off of those garments. Such buttons are provided with button holes having a desired shape so that they are sewed on a garment in a convenient and rapid manner. It is very inefficient to manually carry out such a button attachment operation in fields where garments are manufactured in a mass production fashion. To this end, button sewing machines are used in such fields in order to rapidly carry out a button sewing operation for a large number of buttons, thereby achieving an improvement in workability and productivity.
Such button sewing machines operate to reciprocally run a thread through the holes of a button and a garment to be attached with the button by use of a needle, thereby fixing the button to the garment. In this case, however, the space between the button and the fabric is very small. As a result, it is very difficult to pass the button through a button slit formed in the garment upon putting on the garment.
In other words, there is inconvenience in attaching the button to the fabric because the button is sewed on the fabric while leaving an insufficient space therebetween. Furthermore, since the sewing of the button is achieved by reciprocally running a single strand of a button-fixing thread through the holes of the button and the fabric in a zig-zag fashion, the button is easily loosened from the fabric when the button-fixing thread becomes unknotted. Thus, this method is problematic in that the button is insecurely attached to the fabric.
In order to achieve an attachment of a button to a fabric enabling the button to more conveniently pass through a button slit formed in the fabric, a method, which is illustrated in FIG. 11, has been proposed. In accordance with this method, a binding thread 3 is tightly wound around a button-fixing thread 2 reciprocally running through the holes of a button 1 and a fabric, thereby spacing the button 1 from the fabric by a desired distance. Accordingly, it is possible not only to prevent the button 1 from being separated from the fabric due to a loosening of the button-fixing thread, but also allowing the button 1 to easily pass through a button slit formed in the fabric. In this case, however, the binding thread 3 is simply wound around the button-fixing thread 2. For this reason, the binding thread 3 may be loosened after the fabric is subjected to a strong washing operation in a washing machine. This may result in an early loosening of the button-fixing thread. In order to eliminate this problem, another method has recently been proposed in which a binding thread made of an elastic material such as Nylon yarn is used. In accordance with this method, the binding thread is tightly wound around a button-fixing thread reciprocally running through the holes of a button and a fabric. At the final stage of the button attachment process, the binding thread is cut at its desired portion under the condition in which a maximum tension is applied to the binding thread, so that the cut end of the binding thread is retracted into the turns of the binding thread, thereby preventing the binding thread from being loosened. However, the tension of the binding thread may be reduced over a lapse of time. Otherwise, the binding thread may be deteriorated in its physical properties. As a result, the binding thread loses its elasticity. This results in a reduction in the fastening force of the binding thread, thereby causing the binding thread to be loosened.